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Schwartzel Excited to Be Back at Leopard Creek

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Schwartzel Excited to Be Back at Leopard Creek Leopard Creek Times Alfred Dunhill Championship Daily News & Order of Play ROUND 1, THURSDAY 28 NOVEMBER, 2019 SCHWARTZEL EXCITED TO BE BACK AT LEOPARD CREEK If there was ever a place and tournament for Charl Schwartzel to make his comeback from an eight-month injury layoff, then it’s Leopard Creek and this week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship. he 2011 Masters where he holds the record for the The South African has always loved “It’s beautiful, this setting. It has to champion makes his lowest tournament total of 24-under- Leopard Creek and its combination be the best I’ve seen this course. I’m return to competitive par 264 and the biggest margin of of world-class golf in the heart of the very excited to play and it’s going to golf after the longest victory of 12 strokes. bush. be the best place for me to start.” timeT away from the game in his “I’m very happy to be back at “You get courses that really suit your professional career because of a wrist Leopard Creek. If I was ever going to eye, and even though they’ve made a injury. make a comeback, this was going to few changes since I last won here, I And he’s picked a tournament he’s be the best place for me to start. For still feel very comfortable on this golf won four times in 2004, 2012, 2013 me, just to be able to play and walk course. The bush is a place where I go and 2015, finished runner-up in four the fairways and compete – that will to relax and here I am playing a golf times, and a Leopard Creek course be a win,” said Schwartzel. tournament in the heart of the bush. Photographs courtesy of Getty Images, Sunshine Tour, Grant Leversha, Christiaan Kotze @dunhilllinks @alfreddunhilllinks Ernie Els. he Alfred Dunhill This policy was also adopted by Championship will play the PGA Tour this year. TOURS ALLOW PROS TO Tits part in a ground- “It was discussed and felt that in breaking move for professional this situation it was a good golf wherein the Sunshine Tour move,” said David Williams, the WEAR SHORTS DURING and European Tour have agreed Tournament Director of the to allow the players competing European Tour. ALFRED DUNHILL in this week’s tournament to “The temperatures will increase wear shorts for the duration of as the week goes on, which is the event. uncomfortable and could be a CHAMPIONSHIP The decision was taken after health issue for the players. A consultation with the players; lot of players were concerned Keith Pelley, the Chief Execu- about it. In these temperatures it tive Officer of the European can be pretty uncomfortable out Tour; and the tournament host, there in trousers, so the Mr Johann Rupert; and was feedback from the players has unanimously agreed upon in certainly been positive.” light of the excessive heat South Africa’s Ernie Els forecast for Leopard Creek this welcomed the decision. “It’s week, with temperatures very nice when common sense forecast to reach as high as comes into play. It’s going to get 40°C. At the moment, it applies up to 40°C here and it’s the for this tournament only. right thing to do. It’s been talked “We are very grateful to the about for so long on all of the European Tour for supporting tours around the world. Mr this decision, and we’re excited Rupert is always a man who is about it,” said Selwyn Nathan, forward thinking and I think Commissioner of the Sunshine this could be a game-changer Tour. for golf which could end up “The game has moved on, golf enhancing the product.” fashion has moved on, and even Thomas Bjørn said he is also the weather has changed. We’re fully in favour of the decision. playing in Africa under beautiful “Golf has been moving in this sunshine, and as long as the direction and because of the dress code conforms with that extreme heat we need to make it of the club, then I think it will as comfortable for the players as look very good. On the we can. We are very thankful for Sunshine Tour we believe the Tours and Mr Rupert for #Gr8nessbeginshere, and this is supporting this decision. There certainly a great decision for are traditions in golf that will golf going forward.” always be upheld, but we also In 2016, the Sunshine Tour and need to try and make it easier European Tour made the for kids to get involved in the decision to allow players to wear game and move with the times.” shorts during practice rounds and pro-ams. 2 South African cricket legend Jacques Kallis in the pro-am of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek. PRO-AM PARTICIPANTS PITCH IN FOR SAGDB AND RHINOS he official pro-am for the Alfred Dunhill Championship set the tone for Pro-Am Results Ta week that is regarded by all as one of 93 Points: Richard Sterne, the most unique in world golf. Gaynor Rupert, Cara A day on the renowned Leopard Creek golf Treherne, Riette Malherbe course was followed by a glittering dinner, 91 Points: Ross Fisher, where R480 000 was raised for the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) Gerard Rupert, Charlie van and Birdies for Rhinos. Dyk Snr, Eugene Treherne 86 Points Count Out: Below: Bongi Mokaba, the promoter of the George Coetzee, Reg South African Open hosted by the City of Calmeyer, Henk de Kock, Johannesburg, in action during the Alfred Rayno Strauss Dunhill Championship Pro-Am. 3 Brandon Stone. STONE READY TO COMPETE WITH THE BEST outh African professionals’ love of Leopard Creek is evidenced Sby the fact that the home golfers have won nine of the last 14 editions of the Alfred Dunhill Championship, including a run of local dominance that wasn’t broken from 2011 to 2016. Brandon Stone is the last South African winner of this championship in 2016 and echoed his countrymen’s love for this course when he described it as “the holy grail of golf in Africa”. “Anytime you come to this special place is fantastic, and the fact that we get to come for a tournament just makes it better.” Stone returns having made several changes to his game, and which he is eager to test out against a strong field this week. “At the moment I feel like I can compete with the best. I re-evaluated after 2018, and physically I felt I wasn’t where I needed to be. I needed to get stronger and fitter to compete with the best players in the world. It’s starting to pay dividends now. The game feels really good and I feel very comfort- able.” And for Stone, there is no better time for those changes to start paying off than this week. “I feel at home here. I’ve often said I feel like this course was built for me. Every hole I stand on, I just love the tee shot and love the way it sets up. So I feel extremely positive, and that 2020 is going to be the best year yet.” 4 'IT’S GOING TO BE A TOUGH TEST’ The extensive improvements to Leopard Creek have been welcomed by the professionals competing in this week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship, with many believing it will make an already tough golf course even more of a challenge. The changes are good, and tough. It really “It’s a very tough test. You have to play well overall, with the new grass, you can’t miss the is a tough golf course,” said Branden with every part of your game. It just tests every greens because it just bounces away. You’ve got “Grace, the winner of the 2014 Alfred part of your game and it’s one of the best to be much more strategic and more accurate Dunhill Championship. courses we play all year.” into the greens. This golf course is just getting “The golf course is a little bit longer now with Another former champion, Ernie Els, said you better and better all the time.” some of the new tees, and with the new grass can’t afford to miss the fairways this week. “The Brandon Stone believes the improvements have and the rough if you miss the fairways you get changes are unbelievable. The new grass they’ve added a whole new dimension to the already penalized. The firm greens mean you can’t put in is going to make it tougher. You’ve really intimidating 18th hole. always go for the pins so you sometimes just got to put the ball in the fairway now because “This is the best I’ve ever seen the course. The have to hit your spot and try and make a the first cut of rough is coming out with no greens are really quick. It’s going to be a real 25-30-footer for birdie. The wind also swirls a spin. So hitting the fairway is key this week.” challenge this year. The new grass will make the little bit around here. You have to be on top of Oliver Wilson is also full of praise for the new 18th in particular even more tricky because it’s a your game this week.” tee on the par-three 16th hole. “That new tee is lot harder to hold your approach on the green Edoardo Molinari agrees.
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